Feed-trough



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. ME'NDENHALL -& F. B. DAVIS.

FEED TROUGH.

N0.'558,694. PatentedApr. 21,1896.

(No M odely) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2..

MENDENHALL & P. B. DAVIS.

FEED TROUGH.

No. 558,694. Patented Apr. 21,1896.

llnrrn S'ra'rns ATENT rrrcn.

IIIRAM lllENDENHALL AND FRANK l3. DAVIS, OF AUDUBON, IOlVA.

FEED-THOUGH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,694, dated April21, 1896.

Application filed August 20,1895. Serial No. 559,969- (No model.)

T at whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that we, HIRAM MENDENHALL and FRANK B. DAVIS, citizens ofthe United States of America, and residents of Audubon, in the county ofAudubon and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Improvement inFeeding-'lroughs, of which the following is a specification.

Our object is to facilitate the regulation of the flow of feed from theinner central receptacle to the troughs on its opposite sides and tocontrol the access of animals of different sizes to the troughs.

Our invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combinationof elements,

as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in our claim, and illustrated bythe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of thecomplete device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the complete device, thedotted lines indicating an auxiliary frame, shown in detail in Fig. 4.Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation of the complete device on the indicatedline 3 3 of Fig. Fig. 4 is a perspective of an auxiliary frame detachedfrom the device. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional elevation illustrating theadjustment of the flow of food from the primary to the secondaryreceptacles.

111 the construction of the device as shown the numeral designates abottom, to the side margins of which are secured troughboards 11 12.Ends 13 let, formed of a plir rality of horizontally-positioned boards,are fixed to the end margins of the bottom 10 and trough-boards 11 12.Some of the boards forming the ends 13 14 are fixed to standards 15, 16,and 17, arranged in series at opposite ends of the apparatus, the upperend portions of said standards being secured to other elements of theapparatus, as hereinafter explained. A cleat 18 is longitudinallypositioned in the central portion of the bottom 10 and subdivides thetrough into two secondary receptacles. A center board 19 is verticallypositioned in the central portion of the trough, approximately midway ofits length, and forms a support for the central portion of theapparatus. Battens 2O 21 are arranged in pairs on the inner faces of theends 13 14, and are vertically positioned in parallel planes separatedby a distance approximating to the width of the lower portion of thecenter board 19. Locking-levers 22 23 are arranged in pairs on the innerfaces of the ends 13 14 and are pivoted at their lower ends thereto. Thelocking-levers are arranged parallel with and at slight distances ofseparation from'the battens 21, and side boards 24 25 are horizontallypositioned between said levers and battens and extend longitudinally ofthe apparatus.

Pins 26 26 (shown in detail in Fig. 5) are removably and replaceablymounted in the battens 2O 21 at distances of separation correspondingwith the width of either board 21 25, which pins serve to retain saidboards at given distances from the bottom 10. The boards 24 25 form aprimary receptacle in the apparatus from which the feed automaticallyflows into the secondary receptacles.

The upper ends of the locking-levers 22 23 are beveled, and are designedfor engagement by rack-bars 27 28, to which rack-bars are secured aplurality of partition-bars 29. The partition-bars 29 normally extenddownwardly and outwardly from the rack-bars 27.

28 and traverse the longitudinal planes of the outer margins of thetrough-boards 11 12, and are separated such distances as will permit ofan individual of the swine familyhaving free access with his head to thesecondary receptacles between said bars. The lower end portions of thebars 29 are rigidly connected in series by bases 30 31, designed forengagement with the lower faces of the troughboards 11 12.

In Fig. 5 we have illustrated an auxiliary frame comprising a top bar32, perforated to admit pins 33, whereby securance maybe had to thepartition-bars 29,a base-bar 34, arranged parallel with the top bar 32,and partitionbars 35, connecting said top and base bars. This auxiliaryframe is designed for positioning on the I rack-frames through which theswine have access to the secondary receptacles, the bars alternatingwith the bars.

29 and reducing by more than one-half the horizontal dimensions of thespaces through which the swine may feed, thus providing for theemployment of a given apparatus with feed-racks adjusted to the varyingsizes of the individuals of the herd, to the end that the smaller andweaker members of the herd may not be crowded and jostled by the largerand stronger members and by them prevented from participation in asufficient repast. The upper end portion of the center board 19 isenlarged in width and formed with upwardlydivergent edges. Side boards36 37 are mounted in oppositely-inclined planes on the divergent edgesof the center board and are secured to the ends 13 14. Auxiliary sideboards 38 39 are fixed to the boards 36 37 by battens 40, which battensoverlap the said boards 36 37 adjacentto the ends thereof. The sideboards 36 37 38 39 form a hopper whereby the feed is directed into theprimary receptacle. A lid 41 is mounted on the upper end portions of thestandards 16 17 and a hook 42 on the board 39 is designed for engagementwith an eye 43 on one of the partition-bars 29.

A hook 44 is fixed to the upper edge of the auxiliary side board 38, andis designed for engagement with an eye 45, fixed in one of thepartition-bars 29, as shown in detail in Fig. 5. The upper end portionsof the standards 15 are bifurcated, and a trough 46,V-shaped incross-section and provided with pivots 47 48, is mounted on saidstandards with the said pivots bearing in the bifurcations thereof. Alever or handle 49 is fixed to and obliquely extends from one end of thetrough 46, the outer end portion of which lever is normally confined ina notch formed in a standard 50, fixed to and rising from the end 14 ofthe device, whereby the trough is normally retained in a position tocontain food. The rack-bars 27 28 are hinged to the lower edge of theside boards 36 37.

In the practical use of our device the food is deposited in and measuredby the trough 46. The lever 49 is manually released from the standard 50and carried through an arc to invert the trough 46, thereby depositingthe food in the primary receptacle under the control of the side boards36 37 38 39, the boards 24 having been previously adjusted relative tothe bottom of the apparatus to govern and control the flow of the feedto the secondary receptacle.

\Vhen it is desired to cleanse the receptacles, the rack-frames areoscillated and suspended by means of the hooks 42 44, the locking-levers22 23 are oscillated, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5, and the boards24 25 removed. The boards 24 25 are ad j nsted relative to the bottom 10by changing the positions of the retaining-pins 26 26, as indicated bydotted lines and broken portions in Fig. 5.

The cleat 18 on the bottom 10 is designed to be engaged by ear-corn orother coarse food to cause said food to project outside theprimaryreceptacle and within easy reach of the swine.

It is obvious that our invention is also well adapted for feeding sheepand calves.

lVe claim as our invention- In a feed-trough, the arrangement andcombination of the fixed battens 20 and 21, the removable boards 24 and25, the pivoted locking-levers 22 and 23, having beveled top ends, thehinged rack, composed of bars 27, 28, a plurality of bars 29, andbase-pieces and 31, the fixed trough-boards 11 and 12 an auxiliary rackconstructed as shown and provided with pins 33, and a centralfood-receptacle extending parallel with the said fixed trough-boards,substantially as and for the purposes stated.

IIIRAM MENDENIIALL. FRANK B. DAVIS. \Vitnesses:

F. E. BRAINARD, W. J. BRocKwAv.

